Chapter 169 Can you see clearly?
"Mr. Paul Three, we're huge fans of your company!" Mary chimed in sweetly. "We use Gemini every day. We even sent gifts during that big livestream… you know, the one with the murder?"
Silence met her words. The figure in the chair didn't budge.
Undeterred, Mary pressed on. "We also heard you're good friends with Paul White. You know, Elbert? He's actually a really good friend of ours. He even stayed at our house for a while!"
Susan giggled, joining the act. "He's a fantastic cook, you know. And super handsome, just like you!"
A low chuckle finally emanated from the chair. The sisters exchanged hopeful glances; this approach seemed to be working.
"I heard you called him a freeloader who relied on women," the man said, his voice amused.
The sisters' faces flushed red.
"We were young and foolish," Mary stammered, fiddling with her dress. "We learned our lesson. We've regretted those words ever since."
"Elbert never gave us a chance to apologize," Susan added, her voice small. "He's nothing like that. He's kind and generous; even donating to orphanages!"
"He doesn't need to trick anyone," Mary insisted. "He's incredibly wealthy. He saved us when we needed it most."
"We all feel terrible about how we misjudged him," Susan finished, her eyes welling up. "Our father, Lori; all of us."
"Mary, Susan, that's enough," Lori hissed, her cheeks burning with shame. "This is a business meeting, not a gossip session. We're here to ask Mr. Paul Three for help, not to rehash the past."
She had finished answering the ten questions, about to approach the desk when the man spoke again.
"There's no need for that, Ms. Brown. I've already seen your answers."
She paused, her gaze drawn to a discreet white camera positioned above her head, its lens subtly adjusting.
"Mr. Paul Three, please, at least take a look at them," she pleaded. "I'm sure—"
"They're inadequate, Ms. Brown," he interrupted, his tone clipped. "Your proposed solutions are superficial at best. They won't save FutureTech."
He sighed softly. "However, in light of your family's… remorse toward Elbert, I'm willing to offer you one more chance."
"You'll find my email address on those documents. Come up with a viable plan; something that truly addresses your company's core issues. You have until the stock market opens tomorrow. If your proposal meets my standards, I'll consider intervening."
"Now, please leave. I won't see you out."
Lori stood rooted to the spot, her face disappointed and humiliated.
"But Mr. Paul Three—"
"Goodbye, Ms. Brown."
She lingered for a moment longer, a strange feeling tugging at her gut. As she turned to leave, a thought struck her, so unexpected that she stopped in her tracks.
That voice… it was so familiar to her. And the sound of the lighter… it was just like the distinctive click of Elbert's limited-edition Zippo.
Suddenly, Lori whipped her head back toward the desk in impulse.
The swivel chair had turned.
Sitting in it, regarding her with a knowing smirk, was Elbert.
Her mind reeled as her breath hitched.
The familiar face, framed by that slightly-too-long hair, the mischievous glint in his eyes, and the faint purple glow emanating from his right pupil…
"It was him."
"Paul Three was Elbert."
She couldn't help but whisper.
"Lori, what is it?" Mary asked, about to turn to follow her sister's gaze.
But the receptionist, who had been patiently waiting by the door, smiled gently and closed it before Mary could get a clear look.
"Lori, hat did you see? Did Paul Three turn around?"
Lori stood there, speechless and her emotions messy.
'Elbert… He wasn't just Paul White, the enigmatic singing sensation.'
'He was Paul Three, the tech mogul, Creator's founder, Gemini's inventor, the man who had brought Meta Platforms to its knees, the mastermind behind the shocking livestream, the creator of the awe-inspiring sky screen, the visionary hailed as the leader of the future tech world.'
She pondered for a while.
It was incomprehensible to her.
'How could one person achieve so much and excel in so many fields, all while maintaining such secrecy?' she sighed.
Shock, disbelief, confusion – these emotions warred within her, reflected in her wide, unblinking eyes.
Mary and Susan exchanged worried glances. What had their sister seen? Had she seen a ghost?
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Lori closed her mouth.
She knew Elbert had allowed her to see him. He had orchestrated this entire encounter, controlling every detail, revealing himself only at the very end.
And she knew better than to cross him.
"He's… handsome," she finally choked out, smiling shakily. "The most handsome man I've ever seen. Even Elbert pales in comparison."
"Really?" Mary and Susan gasped in unison, their eyes sparkling with curiosity.
"But we'll stick with Elbert," Mary declared, puffing out her chest. "He's our favor. You can have Paul Three."
Lori chuckled dryly, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "Come on, let's go back to the office. I have a lot of work to do if I want to save our company."
"We're right behind you, sis," Susan chirped, linking her arm with Lori's. "We'll even make you coffee."
Back in his office, Elbert leaned back in his chair with creased eyebrows.
He asked with a low voice, "Robert, why wasn't Lori affected by the consciousness implant? The one Steven used on the other shareholders?"
"She was," Robert replied, appearing beside him in a Sherlock Holmes-inspired outfit, complete with a deerstalker hat and pipe. "But she managed to… avoid it."
"Avoid it?"
"Most people have a single, dominant personality," Robert explained, puffing on his pipe. "A blank canvas, so to speak, upon which Steven could easily imprint his suggestions. But Lori… she's different."
"Her Dissociative Identity Disorder… it created a unique situation. When her personality shifted, it disrupted the implant's influence."
Elbert chuckled, shaking his head. Leave it to Lori to throw a wrench in Steven's meticulously crafted plans.
If not for her effort, FutureTech's sales would've been over. Lori, along with the other shareholders, would've become nothing more than puppets dancing to Steven's tune.
"It seems fate is on our side, Robert," Elbert murmured, grinning slyly.
In fact, Steven might've had the perfect plan, but even he couldn't account for Lori's unpredictable nature.
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